The 2017 Orca Awards will arrive here on Sunday, March 4. That’s just three weeks away! Squee!

For the seventh straight year we will honor outstanding achievement in crossword construction and editing as we look back on many of your favorite puzzles published in 2017. You can expect all of the old award categories (Best Crossword, Best Easy Crossword, Best Freestyle Crossword, Merl Reagle Award for Best Sunday-Sized Crossword, Best Tournament Crossword, Best Meta/Contest Crossword, and Best Gimmick Crossword) plus a new category recognizing variety crosswords.

And yes, once again the Orcas will include the Bob Klahn Award for Best Clue. Last year we published a crossword featuring the Best Clue nominees, and it was a big hit (if, like us, you define “big hit” as “downloaded 17 times”). So we did it again–you can download the puzzle, “Right on Clue,” here (available only in PDF form). The complete list of Best Clue nominees and all identifying information is presented on the second page, together with the solution. Happy solving–you should like at least nine of the clues!

Be sure to come back on March 4 for all of the pageantry, revelry, and excitement that is…The 2017 Orca Awards!